THIS year the Royal Canberra Show was joined by a number of New Zealand scholarship recipients that each travelled to the event to compete and associate judge in the various livestock rings.
In particular Rana Kumeroa from the Canterbury region of NZ featured in the beef cattle section, taking part in all the junior competitions available plus lending a hand in breed classes.
Ms Kumeroa placed third in the 17 to 18's beef cattle junior judging and was up there in the paraders section.
At 18 years of age, Ms Kumeroa was the recipient of the Lady Isaac Scholarship from the Canterbury Ag and Pastoral Show, also known as the New Zealand Ag Show, in November which allowed her to travel to Australia to broaden her horizons.
Her interest in cattle first started at school as she came through the Rangiora School agricultural training system, which she said has allowed her to develop skills and gain opportunities most people would not get unless they were off farms.
"Local Lowline breeders, Phil and Kay Worthington, approached the school to help educate the students about agriculture and how to show cattle," she said.
"It presented a new opportunity for people that would not normally do it.
"I'm not from a cattle or agriculture background but my interest was developed by these opportunities, and since I have done very well at our shows in stock judging and handling."
During the week-long trip Ms Kumero also was the associate judge of the Murray Grey ring where she worked alongside Kerry Sutherland from Wodonga, Victoria, in sorting through the exhibits of Australia's own beef breed.
The Royal Canberra Show was however not the first time she had ventured across the ocean to take part in Australian shows.
"In 2018 I won another trip to Beef Australia in Rockhampton (Queensland)," she said.
"I joined the team of students and teachers from Pittsworth High School and spent they week with them.
"I was able to compete in the events with them and learn from them along the way which was great."
Ms Kumeroa said the cattle at Rockhampton were unusual to what she commonly would see in NZ, but the fundamentals of structure were still a big thing at both shows she has attended in Australia.
"The cattle at Canberra are similar, they have the structure we like," she said.
"Not a lot of cattle in NZ are grain fed though, most are grass fed so we really need the easy doing type."
Moving forward Ms Kumeroa hopes to use the skills and knowledge she has developed to eventually work on a farm moving forward.
She was joined by another two NZ scholarship winners, Cameron Letham and Will Stuart, who were involved in the Merino and meat sheep judging sections of the show, as well as the Canterbury Ag and Pastoral Association youth committee chairperson Sarah O'Connell.